Love and Traitors (Book 1)

Chapter 1

Everly's POV

I cannot stand this place. I hate these halls, lockers, and crowded classrooms. I think this as I walk down the halls of sycamore high. School used to be my whole life, If I wasn't here then I was with my friends discussing and reminiscing on the meaningless high school drama that had always seemed so important. That had all changed in one night. One night. That's all it took for the metaphorical rug to be pulled out from underneath my life. I'd been at another 'can't miss the party' that happened every weekend and was always a priority, even over spending time with my family for my father's birthday. Making out heavily with my boyfriend Shane In one of the house's spare bedrooms was my biggest worry at that point.

I'd ignored three calls from my father already before I gave In and answered. My mother had been driving around with my teenage brother. A drunk driver had run a red light and hit her car. My brother had survived but my Mother did not. I immediately went into shock. At that moment my feet carried me away without my brain telling them to do so. People told me that I had screamed, dropped my phone, and ran out of the house. Ignoring everyone's questions along the way. I didn't come back to myself until I was at the hospital and a nurse was asking me questions. Everybody talks about how hard it is to lose a loved one but nobody describes the feeling of losing yourself completely.

You become disconnected to whatever was holding you down in the first place and whatever left is just an empty shell that simulates your day to day life. As time went on and I withdrew more and more into myself, my friends drifted off from me one by one. I couldn't have expected much more, Who needs dreary and depressing when you can continue with your life. Shane tried to stick around, but after a couple of months of me not going out, shunning our friends, binge drinking, and discouraging his romantic advances he too started to come around less and less until eventually I stopped seeing him at all.

I was now an outcast. My Mother was the one who made me so outgoing she was always there for me and then suddenly she was gone and the girl I had been was lost forever. The honey blonde hair that I had inherited from her was a painful reminder. Too many times during a drunken stupor had I gone to cut it or color it but something always stopped me. Having the cliché blonde hair and blue-eyed look had always benefited me In the past. I used to care so much about my appearance. Getting up early every morning to prime me to perfection and pick out a trendy cute outfit that I knew Shane would love. I didn't wear flashy clothes that made my body look good like other girls in my school. I wore baggy jackets and jeans that didn't draw any attention and kept my slim hourglass shape and my not so small chest covered.

I silently walk to my locker fighting back tears after thinking about my Mum. My Dad tried being there for me as much as possible but he was busy working. My brother Jaxon appeared to be dealing better than me but I still caught him crying at night sometimes. I know Dad wants me to go back to my old self. He even had his assistant attempt to buy me a whole new wardrobe. All of which still sits in the shoping bag in my closet.

I walk into math and take my seat at the back. I look around the classroom and my eyes fall on two people sitting very close together. Shane and Sasha. A girl I used to consider one of my best friends. She flirted with Shane even when I was going out with him it wasn't a surprise they were together now. I couldn't blame him though. We had been in love and I had withdrawn from him completely. Even if he had stuck around I wouldn't have been able to keep doing it to him. He had tried being there for me after the accident but I just pushed him away. Sometimes I catch him looking at me like he used to.

The school day goes by slow but eventually comes to an end and I begin my long trek home. Dad has repeatedly offered to buy me a car but I don't need it, I enjoy the long walks. It allowed me to lose my thoughts to the music blasting through my headphones. It was a particularly rainy afternoon but I loved the rain and relished any time I got to spend time outside enjoying the cold droplets landing on my skin. Dad is preparing to leave the house just as I walk in the door.